People participate when they feel confident that they will be heard and respected and that others want to hear what they have to say.

In the introduction to the meeting it is essential for the facilitator to lay down some ground rules about how the group will work. Suitable humor helps here and a light touch. Make it clear that only one person at once will speak when they are working together. A confused babble of a number of people talking at once inhibits the quieter individuals and no one hears anything clearly. If someone feels they have something vital to say, acknowledge them and let them know they will have their turn. The object of the exercise is to develop and learn and this can only be done effectively with some discipline. This might sound strict but it is effective and most people enjoy the control because they benefit by hearing everything and learning from others' ideas.

The next action a facilitator needs to do is the ensure everyone is relaxed. Whether the individuals in the group know each other or are strangers, it is worth starting off with each person introducing themselves and saying something about what they do or why they are there. This way everyone is acknowledged and seen by the others who might not have noticed them before.

When the subject has been introduced get people involved. Give the group a task to do with a time limit. Working in pairs and discussing the first task, ensures that they start to think actively about the subject and begin to express ideas. The working on a one to one usually helps the quiet individuals and the less quiet one also get their say. At the end of the set time, bring the group together and ask each person to sum up what they discovered. Use a flip chart to record the comments. These can be collated afterwards and everyone can have a copy if they want it.

Develop the tasks to a slightly larger group, perhaps four or five people and repeat the pattern. Ensure the subject of discussion is relevant at each stage and that is extends the understanding of the individuals in the group.

At the end of the session, sum up the essence of what the group has uncovered. With their help and using a clean sheet of paper, write down what they think they have achieved. It is useful to ask for feed back on how the group felt the session went. This can be in the form or a questionnaire which is confidential but must be filled in at the end of the meeting.

To do this exercise requires the facilitator to think out clearly what their aims and objectives for this meeting are. What do they want the group to learn? What do they want the group to achieve? What tasks will involve everyone? It requires careful preparation. When the job is well done it will look easy and participants won't see the effort that has gone into the preparation. In the long run it saves time, effort and frustration.

Learn more about this author, Rosemary Redfern.
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